Rotary burner with interrupted annular finned cover plate



Jan. 17, 1950 c. o. MEYERS 2,494,893

ROTARY BURNER WITH INTERRUPTED ANNULAR FINNED COVER PLATE Filed Sept. 11, 1945 INVEN CO. MEY

A ORNEYS Patented Jan. 17, 1950 ROTARY BURNER WITH INTERRUPTED ANNULAR FINNED COVER PLATE Charles 0. Meyers, Bartlesville, Okla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1945, Serial No. 615,609

The present invention relates to rotary burners. In a more specific aspect, it relates to rotary burners of the type known as Fanmix burners made by Coppus Engineering Corporation. In another specific aspect, it relates to cooling the nose plate, or cover plate, of a rotary burner.

Rotary burners having a chamber with radially disposed fuel spraying arms and a cover plate for the chamber are old in the prior art and are highly successful. The cover plate is the weak point, however, as it is exposed to radiant heat. Generally, the cover plate does not overheat unless the fuel contains material which will carbonize and deposit on the hot surface of the cover plate. When such is the case, carbon deposits on the hot inner surface of the nose plate, or cover plate, and reduces the rate of heat transferred from the cover plate. As a result, the cover plate becomes overheated and melts or burns out. Obviously, when the cover plate has burned away, the fuel will escape through the hole in the cover plate and will not feed properly through the radial arms.

I have provided a rotary burner of the class described which has a cover plate so designed as to be free from burning out.

The principal object of the present invention is to eliminate the burning out of nose plates, or cover plates, of rotary burners.

Another object is to provide means for suitably dissipating heat from such cover plates.

Another object is to direct the fuel onto the cover plate and provide a cover plate with a series of baiiles which act as heat transfer means and retain the fuel adjacent the cover plate a suitable period of time for heat transfer.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional, elevational view of a rotary burner embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In Figure 2, fuel (generally gas) is supplied through a stationary fuel supply pipe 4. R- tatably mounted on pipe 4 is a rotary burner, generally designated as 5. Burner 5 may be provided with any suitable hearing such as 6 which may be an anti-friction bearing and is 2 Claims. (Cl. 158-118) 2 retained in place by any suitable retaining means I and 8.

The body 9 of burner 5 may be provided with fan blades III to move air through opening II in furnace wall I2. The rotation of body 9 may be accomplished by a belt or chain drive or gear drive from a motor, or the rotation of body I may be entirely by jet reaction, as will be explained later. Body 9 has a chamber I3 attached thereto by any suitable means. Chamber I3 contains a central space I4, covered by a cover plate I5. Cover plate I5 is often called a nose plate. Extending radially out from chamber I3 are arms I6. The number of arms I6 is immaterial; however, obviously, it is better to have arms I6 dynamically balanced so as to reduce vibration. Such dynamical balance may be achieved with any number of arms.

Leading out into arms I6 are passages I! which communicate through holes IS with chamber I3. Passages ll lead to holes I! in the arms I6. Holes is form jets for the fuel.

Cover plate I5 is provided with concentrically disposed annular interrupted cooling fins 28 on its inner side as shown in Figure 2.

Operation The fuel gas to be burned enters the burner through pipe 4 where it impinges directly on fins 20. The fuel gas cools fins 20 and then passes out of chamber I3 through holes I8,.passages l1, and jet holes I9. Jet holes I9 may act to rotate body 5 due to jet reaction which is well known. If desired, the rotation of 5 may be supplemented by a motor (not shown). Arms I6 may be shaped as blades of a fan or propeller to draw air through opening II from right to left in Figure 1. However, fan blades It] may be eliminated and arms I6 need not be shaped as fan blades provided a suitable means for forcing air through passage II is provided. Arms I6 alone may be enough to force air through passage II when formed as fan blades.

In all cases, the fine efliciency of these type rotary burners is due to the gas coming out of jet holes I! as fine jets which thoroughly mixes with the air passing from right to left through opening II the fuel and air burning in a big ball of flame to the left of Figure 1.

. Radiant heat from this flame is directed partly on cover plate I5 which may become overheated. When cover plate I5 becomes overheated, certain elements in the gas flowing through pipe 4 (such as higher molecular weight hydrocarbons) will carbonize by'dehydrogenation or other bum out even though carboned up on the inside.

The fins provide additional heat dispersing suriace thereby eliminating the burning. With the finned plate, carbon deposition may occur, but the additional dispersion surface will prevent burning of the plate.

The fin design may be varied according to the type of fuel being burned. If the gas containsentrained matter, a non-continuous fin as shown in Figure 2 is preferable as it prevents the building up of a continuous insulating layer of carbon. If the gas is relatively clean and contains a smaller amount of entrained oil or other impurities, the fins are interrupted at less frequent intervals.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A burner of the class described comprising in combination a stationary fuel supply pipe; a fuel spray head rotatably mounted on the outlet end of said pipe,'saidhead forming a central fuel chamber; fu'el spraying arms radially disposed relative to said chamber;' a cover plate closing the end of said chamber opposite said pipe outlet; and co-axially disposed annular interrupted cooling fins on said cover plate and in said chamher, whereby fuel flowing from said supply pipe contacts said fins in heat exchange relation thereby cooling said cover plate and maintains it at a temperature below its melting point.

2. A burner of the class described comprising in combination a stationary fuel supply pipe; a fuel spray head rotatably mounted on the outlet end of said pipe, said head forming a central fuel chamber; fuel spraying arms radially disposed relative to said chamber; a cover plate closing the end of said chamber opposite said pipe outlet and annular interrupted cooling fins on said cover plate and in said chamber, whereby fuel flowing from said supply pipe contacts said fins in heat exchange relation thereby cooling said cover plate and maintains it at a temperature below its melting point.

CHARLES O. MEYlilRS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS' 

